The Irish standard., 1887-09-10
THE o'GoRMAN rAAH0N.
A Graphic Portrait of the Irish Per.
Humanitarian His First Ap-
pearance at Ennis as
A SUPPORTER OF 0'C0NNELL
Defying Sheriff to Touch His Green
Badgc-Neyer Challenged, but
Often Challenger.

Badgc-Neyer Challenged, but
Often challenger.
It's all but sixty years, says the Ne"
York Sun, since the great scene wal
enacted by which Daniel OConnel
broke the bonds that had excluded the
Catholics from Parliament. The place
was the court house in Ennis; the oc-
casion was the election Of a member fol
Clare. The town was filed with 10000
people, not counting the military. The
court house was packed, and suddenly
all eyes were fastened upon daring
young man, who, uncomf Portable in the
gallery, or anxious to display his colors
and thereby promote the chances OF his
candidate, had coolly flung himself ove1
the railing Of the gallery and sat almost
suspended. on narrow ledge, his legs
dangling in mid-air. Ills costume was
as remarkable as his position. Glossy
trousers OF Irish tabinet proclaimed at
once fine pair Of legs, and a fondness
for home manufactures. lie had
thrown off his waistcoat. and his blue
and white striped shirt was open al
rhe neck, lin which" wrote a circum.
stantial chronicler Of the day, ''the
strength OF Hercules and the symme
try of Antinous woro combined" A
handsome and mobile face, exhibiting
courage and complacency, was crowned
by profusion of jet black c,,rls fantas'
tically festooned across his bgow; while
his droll but firm mouth, was partly hid
den in bushy black whiszers. Across his
breast was a wide green sash, bearin
the legend, unmentioned by Froissart
or Burke, 1.-The Order of Liberators. y
He kept his dangerous post not without
difficulty bnt with perfect composure;
and until the high sheriff and he had
finished their conversation, business
could not proceed. :;Who, sir. are
you7" inquired that functionary, the
first man Of the place and the occasion,
He was an Irisllman. but had been in
India and had acquired Il curious enun.
ciation, blending the cadences of Yves
ley, according to the story, with the
clipping accent OF the sons Of Confu-
cius. The man on the perch, mimick-
ing his manner, called down amid roars
of laughter, my name is OGorman
Mahon.' Thehigh sheriff, determined
that no insignia should be worn in his
presence unauthorized by the Queen.
called up in rejojnder, II tell that gen
t1eman to take Off that badge" Hold
ing to his perch with one arm, the ele-
waited patriot used the other for gesture
and laying it upon his breast, retorted:
s'This gentleman tells that gentleman, u
pointing to the sheriff, "that if that
gentleman pEesumea to touch this gen
tleman,'' again spreading his palm
across the badge, >'this gentleman will
defend himself against that gentleman
or any other gentleman, while he has
the arm Of a gentleman to protect him. .
Aristocracy, clergy, county squires and
rustic peasants, commingled in a dense
mass Of excited partisans, cheered on
with one impulse, until the sheriff,
dumbfounded by the illogical but men
acing reply, gave up the task Of bring
ing the scarf off the breast Of O'G German
Mahon OF the wearer off his dizzy precip-
ice. The incident, trivial, it fludicrous,
had effect. 1t was the first collision
between O'Connell's friends and the
government" and after the victory in
the House itself, by which the modifi.
scatjpn Of the oaths permitted the LID
orator to take his seat, the first man for
whom he provided a constituency was
O'Gorman AIahon, and the seat was
one which that eccentric lieutenant had
done so much before the contest in the
court house, as we'll as after it, to pro-
cure for the great agitator. The then
Young man was not long out of Trinity
College, and was studying for the irish
bar. He remained in the House but a
short time and disappeared from poll
tics for fifteen years, when he returned
to Parliament exactly forty years ago,
remaining five years, and disappearing
again for twenty years. During these
intervals, although unheard of in West
minister, he was one Of the best known
men socially in all Ireland. Although
he could carry any constituency open
to "a Nationalist il Ireland, at any
time Of his life, he stubbornly refused
to be candidate. He preferred to
n ID aintain his political convictions in a
more militant way. He is, perhaps,
the sole surviving type, having national
reputation, of the fighting politician.
2Hef could always use his tongue we'll
ssl enough but he preferred another Wea-
sI;t,n. The duel in Ireland was the reg
g,iiat MI Hon mod Of settling differences for
81 lono period after C'onnell forswore
it. the men the world there 'r
han. I'D for saving